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The 2012-13 hockey season has come down to just one thing: the Lamoriello Trophy awarded to the Hockey East Tournament Champion.
 
“Now it's up to four teams to win one trophy,” says UMass Lowell Hockey Coach Norm Bazin. “I like our odds.”
 
Top seeded UMass Lowell (24-10-2), the regular season champion, faces fourth seed Providence College (17-13-7) in the first of two semifinal games, Friday (5:00pm), at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass.
 
Number two Boston College (22-10-4) and third seeded Boston University (20-15-2) face off in the second semifinal game at 8:00pm.
 
The semifinal winners will meet Saturday night (7:00pm) in the tournament Championship game.
 
Tickets for the all games can be purchased through the TD Garden Box Office. Prices range from $17 to $39.  Those who have ordered tickets but have not picked them up can do so at the UMass Lowell Will Call window at the East Premium Gate of the TD Garden on Friday.
 
UMass Lowell Division of Student Affairs is sending three student buses to the game.  Students must sign up in person at the Tsongas Center Box Office.  Space is limited and may no longer be available.
 
It is UMass Lowell's fourteenth trip to the Hockey East Tournament semifinals, but it has been a while.  The last time was in 2009.
 
Six teams have won the Lamoriello Trophy in the league's 28 years.  UMass Lowell is one of four teams who have not hoisted the hardware.
 
 “This week is down to two games,” says Bazin.  “You've worked awfully hard all year long to be in this tournament.  First it was to be part of the eight teams that make the playoffs, then it was four teams that get home ice.”
 
“You want to win, there's a trophy at stake, there's two games involved,” says Bazin. “It's going to be exciting; it's going to be a great experience for these guys.”
 
Twice before, UMass Lowell has made it to the championship game, but both of those games ended in disappointment.  The River Hawks lost the final to Boston University in both 1994 and 2009.
 
“We play for the name on the front (of the jersey,) not the back,” says senior Captain Riley Wetmore (Swanton, Vt.)  “We play for all the guys in the locker room and we represent all the alumni who've played here.  There is something special we can do.”
 
UMass Lowell and Providence squared off against one another during the final weekend of the regular season with the Hockey East regular season title on the line.  The River Hawks and Friars split those two games and that was enough to give UMass Lowell the crown.
 
UMass Lowell and Providence are not strangers. Friday's game will be the tenth between the two teams in the last two years.  The River Hawks have won five of the previous nine, but it was the Friars that knocked UMass Lowell out of the Hockey East Tournament in a hard fought three game quarterfinal series a year ago.
 
“They know exactly what we want to do, we know exactly what they want to do,” says Bazin.  “Playing any good team at this time of year, they're trying to get you off your game plan.  It's a two-headed coin, you have to execute.  It's going to be about the little details, about executing at the right time, about making a play at a crucial point in the game.”
 
The two teams approach, in many ways, is similar.  Both have displayed outstanding goaltending and strong team defense.  Neither team features one offensive “difference maker.” 
 
The UMass Lowell roster finds five players in double digits in goals and seven players with 20 points or more.  Providence has three players in each category.
 
For the River Hawks it's about playing their game, what is simply referred to as “Lowell hockey.”
 
“It's a fast pace, intense, aggressive style (focused on) puck pursuit and puck recovery,” says Bazin.  “I like to feel we can execute as well as anyone in the country when we're on.  That's the goal this weekend.”
 
There are other factors as well; the setting and the significance of the games.  The TD Garden is the most well known hockey venue in New England and one of the most storied on the continent.
 
“There might be some nervous energy during the first ten minutes of the first game, that's normal,” says Bazin.  “It's who can get over that quickly and get back to playing their style of game and playing it effectively.”
 
The coach hopes to get past the “wow” factor during Thursday's practice on the Garden's “neutral site” ice.
 
The River Hawks have performed well away from home going 13-5-1.  The .711 winning percentage on the road is second best in the country.  The 13 wins is tops in the nation.
 
UMass Lowell sits in the 5^th spot in both the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls.  Providence is 16^th in the USCHO list.
 
This series matches Hockey East's top statistical goalies: UMass Lowell's Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce, Mich.) and Providence's Jon Gillies.  Both are freshman with eye popping numbers, both were named to the 2013 Pro Ambitions Hockey East all rookie team.
 
Hellebuyck was also the recipient of the “Stop It” Goaltending Award.  He led Hockey East with a 1.49 goals against average and a .944 save percentage.  Gillies was second in both categories (2.08/.931.)
 
Hellebuyck is quick to deflect credit, “It's all twenty guys buying into the system, playing honest and playing hard.”
 
The River Hawks took the season series from Providence, winning two of three games, but history gives a slight edge to the Friars.  Providence leads the all-time series, 50-43-11.  UMass Lowell has an edge in post season play, 5-3-1.  All but one of those previous meetings were in the quarterfinals.  The exception was in the 1986 consolation game, an 8-5 River Hawk victory.
 
Despite the number one seeding, the River Hawks are taking an underdog mentality.
 
“Everybody talks about the 'Big Four,'” says Bazin.  “It's up to us to prove that the regular season, over 27 (league) games, was truly a big test that we passed with flying colors.”
 
“We have yet to find out how good this team can be.”